An  •>? 

fA  6 L*^rr\ 

^ L :0,s' 

"^t©  Library  School, 
Urbana 


The  Miami  Bulletin 

Published  Monthly  by  Miami  University 

And  Entered  at  Postoffice , Oxford , Ohio,  as  Second  Class  Mail  Matter 

Series  VI.  FEBRUARY,  1908.  Number  10 


History  of  the  Library  of  Miami  University. 

BY  WM.  J.  McSURELY,  Librarian. 


The  records  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  show  that  in  1811 
and  1812,  “the  Rev.  John  W.  Browne,  a missionary  in  Ohio 
and  elsewhere/ ' made  collections  of  monies  and  books  for 
the  University.  On  April  17th,  1812,  the  treasurer  was 
authorized  to  call  on  Samuel  J.  Brown  and  “secure  the  books 
which  had  been  forwarded  to  him  for  use  in  the  Univer- 
sity.” Those  months  of  the  dawning  of  the  War  of  1812 
could  not  have  been  a very  promising  time  for  securing  gifts 
in  this  northwest,  but  pioneer  ministers  were  men  of  faith 
and  courage.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  this  Home  Mis- 
sionary, as  he  went  here  and  there,  asked  gifts  for  the  new 
college,  soon  to  be  opened.  Certainly  it  was  expected  that 
this  new  college  would  help  to  train  men  for  the  ministry, 
and  would  greatly  help  the  church,  and  it  surely  did.  The 
Rev.  Browne  died  in  1812  or  1813,  for  in  November  of  this 
latter  year  a committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the  ad- 
ministrator of  his  estate.  But  the  matter  was  not  fully  set- 
tled until  July  6,  1824,  shortly  before  the  University  opened. 
Among  the  receipts  of  the  University  at  this  time  was  a sub- 
scription of  books  to  be  yet  supplied. 

April  12,  1821,  the  Board,  in  making  plans  for  the  open- 
ing of  the  University,  speaks  of  “plans  to  provide  a suitable 
building,  a library,  and  apparatus/'  The  gift  of  John 
Harvard's  library  made  sure  the  founding  of  Harvard  Uni- 


versity.  Our  fathers  who  established  Miami  University 
looked  upon  a library  as  essential  in  the  very  beginning. 

It  seems  that  “The  Circulating  Library  Society  of  Cin- 
cinnati" was  in  debt  to  the  Miami  University-  For,  in  April, 
1824,  the  President  of  its  Board  of  Directors  addressed  a 
letter  to  the  Trustees  of  the  University,  proposing  to  pay  its 
debt  with  books.  On  July  6,  the  Board  agreed  to  this  pro- 
posal and  thus  became  the  possessor  of  64  numbers  of  Rees' 
Encyclopedia  at  a cost  of  $120,  and  agreed  to  become  respon- 
sible for  the  remaining  numbers  as  they  were  issued.  These 
were  estimated  to  cost  about  $100.  We  have  this  Encyclopedia 
yet,  and  it  cost  us  a good  price,  about  $220.  But  Encyclopedia 
makers  were  not  very  plentiful  in  those  days.  It  is  probable 
that  we  have  some  books  that  were  collected  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Browne,  96  or  97  years  ago.  We  certainly  have  owned  this 
Encyclopedia  87  years. 

At  a meeting  of  the  Board  held  November  5,  1824,  at 
which  time  the  University  was  opened,  it  was  resolved 
“That  the  meetings  of  this  Board  shall  hereafter  be  holden 
in  the  Library  Chamber,"  and  this  rule  is  observed  to  this 
day.  This  “Library  Chamber"  is  the  library  room  of  to- 
day, save  that  for  a time  there  was  a recitation  room  taken 
off  the  west  end.  But  in  1853  the  partition  was  removed, 
and  ever  since  the  library  room  has  been  the  entire  north 
half  of  the  main  building,  second  floor.  We  would  not  say 
one  word  to  the  discredit  of  the  old  “Library  Chamber."  It 
has  brought  us  large  enjoyment  and  gain.  Its  walls  hold 
many  secrets  of  the  Board.  But  we  are  glad  to  believe  that 
we  now  see  on  the  horizon  the  promise  of  a new  building. 
We  will  tenderly  remember  the  old  room,  while  we  gladly 
hail  the  new  edifice. 

At  this  meeting  it  was  also  ordered  by  the  Board  “That 
the  Professor  of  Languages  take  charge  of  the  Library,  and 
that  he  shall  permit  no  books  to  be  taken  out  of  the  library  ex- 
cept for  the  use  of  the  Faculty."  Mr.  William  Sparrow  had 
been  chosen  to  this  chair,  and  of  course  was  the  first  librar- 
ian. But  in  a brief  time  he  left  to  enter  upon  a professor- 
ship in  Kenyon  College,  and  on  March  24,  1826,  Dr.  Wm.  H. 
McGuffey  was  elected  Professor  of  Languages  and  became 


librarian.  In  some  of  the  old  catalogs  he  is  designated  as 
Professor  of  Languages  and  Librarian. 

On  March  31,  1828,  the  following  action  was  taken  by 
the  Board:  — (This  was  the  first  set  of  rules  adopted  for  the 
management  of  the  Library.) 

1.  No  student  shall  receive  from  the  library  more  than 
two  volumes  at  once;  nor  keep  them  longer  than  two  weeks. 

2.  The  library  shall  be  opened  for  receiving  and  dis- 
tributing books  every  Saturday  in  term  time  between  the 
hours  of  2 and  5 p.  m. 

(The  above  was  changed.  I recall  that  in  1853,  and 
thereafter,  the  library  was  opened  on  Saturday  forenoons 
only,  from  about  9 o’clock  to  11). 

3.  Whoever  shall  keep  a book  from  the  library  longer 
than  two  weeks,  or  shall  injure  a book,  or  permit  it  to  be  in- 
jured whilst  in  his  possession,  shall  be  fined  6 1-4  cents  each 
week  he  detains  the  book  from  the  library,  and  pay  the 
amount  of  damage  in  case  of  injury. 

(The  “6  1-4  cents,”  or  Spanish  fippenny  bit,  was  a relic 
of  Colonial  times.  The  days  of  the  nickel  had  not  then 
dawned.) 

4.  The  senior  class  only  shall  be  allowed  to  take  books 
from  the  library. 

(This  was  changed  the  next  year,  and  students  of  the 
college  classes  were  allowed  the  use  of  the  library,  upon  pay- 
ment of  a library  fee  of  50  cents  per  session. 

5.  The  Professor  of  Languages  shall  discharge  the 
duties  of  Librarian. 

The  first  appropriation  for  the  Library  was  made  Septem- 
ber 28,  1825.  The  University  had  been  opened  one  year  and 
upon  the  recommendation  of  President  Bishop  it  was  re- 
solved “That  there  shall  be  appropriated  annually  the  sum  of 
$50  to  be  expended  in  subscriptions  for  periodical,  literary  and 
scientific  publications,  and  the  further  sum  of  $200,  for  the 
purchase  of  works  of  history  and  science,  at  the  discretion  of 
the  President,  which  sums  shall  be  annually  paid  upon  his 
order  without  further  appropriation.”  This  order  stood 
until  1834,  when  the  annual  appropriation  was  fixed  at  $50. 
The  library  fee  was  stricken  out,  and  the  use  of  the  library 
restricted  to  the  faculty  and  the  seniors. 


3 


In  1833,  “A  Catalogue  of  the  Books  Contained  in  the 
Library  of  Miami  Universtiy”  was  issued.  It  was  printed 
here  in  Oxford,  and  published  by  W.  W.  Bishop.  There  are 
a few  copies  yet  extant.  The  books  are  “ arranged  according 
to  subjects/ ' and  their  classification  is  not  exactly  according 
to  Dewey.  The  list  is  an  interesting  one,  and  the  number  of 
volumes  in  some  classes  is  as  follows: -Biography,  37 
volumes;  Greek  and  Latin  Classics,  180 volumes.  (A  number 
of  preachers  must  have  unloaded  their  bookshelves.)  Civil 
and  Ecclesiastical  History,  112  volumes.  (Not  a single  his- 
tory of  the  United  States;  Robertson's  America  is  here 
and  Ramsey's  America.) 

Medicine,  Chemistry  and  Natural  History  are  grouped  in 
one  classification,  and  credited  with  26  volumes.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  literature  in  our  present  departments  of 
Chemistry,  Biology  and  Nature  Study. 

Another  classification  makes  a jumble  of  Natural,  Mental 
and  Moral  Philosophy.  Think  of  dumping  Dr.  Culler  and  Dr. 
Powell  into  the  same  nest.  Under  this  heading  we  have  42 
volumes  and  most  of  these  are  on  the  mental  and  moral  line, 
as  might  be  expected,  since  the  strong,  clear  headed  Scotch 
President  had  charge  of  this  course. 

The  Periodical  list  is  almost  wholly  scientific  and  does 
not  contain  a single  journal  that  we  take  today.  We  have  an 
almost  complete  set  of  the  North  American  Review,  whose 
publication  was  begun  in  1815,  but  evidently  it  had  not  been 
susbcribed  for  when  this  catalogue  was  published. 

The  list  of  poetry  is  a curiosity.  Here  it  is:— Burns’ 
Poems,  La  Henriade,  two  volumes,  Ossian's  Poems,  two 
volumes,  Paradise  Lost,  Crabbe's  Borough,  Hudibras,  two 
volumes,  Milton's  Poems.  Ten  volumes  in  all  and  not  an 
American  poet  in  the  list. 

They  were  rich  in  Theology,  157  volumes,  and  many  of 
these  were  great  folio  books,  weighty  in  every  way.  We 
have  the  Biblia  Sacra  Polyglotta  in  six  folio  volumes,  which 
is  a beauty  and  a wonder  in  its  mechanical  execution,  print- 
ed in  London  in  1657.  We  have  a folio  volume  by  John  Calvin 
concerning  the  twelve  minor  prophets,  published  in  Geneva 
in  1559,  more  than  half  a century  before  the  Colonists  came 
to  Jamestown.  On  its  title  page  is  a large  anchor,  with’[a 


4 


serpent  twined  about  its  stem.  If  any  one  wishes  to  read 
this  book,  he  must  first  master  the  Latin  language.  We 
have  quite  a number  of  books  rare  and  curious  and  valuable. 
If  these  were  collected  by  the  Rev.  John  W.  Browne,  the  old 
missionary  should  be  gratefully  remembered  today.  And 
the  old  ministers  who  gave  us  such  books  were  not  throwing 
out  rubbish  to  us,  in  our  infancy  and  need.  They  gave  us 
something  worth  while.  When  we  set  up  our  new  library 
building,  I bespeak  for  these  and  other  rare  and  valuable 
books,  a room  where  they  can  lie  on  shelves,  covered  with 
glass  doors,  where  they  may  be  seen  and  yet  not  often 
handled. 

In  its  collection  of  Philology  the  library  was  rich  for 
that  day.  It  had  179  volumes  in  Latin  and  Greek  and 
Hebrew  and  French  and  German  and  Spanish  and  Portuguese. 
The  language  business  meant  work.  Hebrew  was  then  a 
part  of  the  University  course  for  such  as  expected  to  enter 
the  ministry,  and  the  library  had  a large  collection  of  He- 
brew books. 

What  do  our  readers  think  of  this  collection  under  the 
classification  of  Fiction,  Wit  and  Humor?  Shakespeare's 
Works,  ten  volumes,  Les  Aventures  de  Gil  Bias  par  Le  Sage, 
four  volumes;  The  Spy,  2 volumes,  (this  looks  home  like.) 
Don  Quixote,  (in  Spanish,)  six^ volumes,  (It  isn't  yet  worn 
out;)  Novelle  Italiene,  Voyage  to  the  Moon,  Merry  Tales  of 
the  Three  Wise  Men  of  Gotham.  I don't  think  the  ‘ ‘Voy- 
age to  the  Moon"  can  be  found.  Some  one  must  have  taken 
it  as  a guide  book. 

The  whole  number  of  books  in  the  Library  at  this  time— 
the  ninth  year  after  the  opening  of  the  University— was 
1296  volumes. 

After  the  resignation  of  Dr.  McGuffey,  the  Rev.  John 
McArthur,  Professor  of  Greek,  was  librarian  for  a time,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  C.  Moffat,  Profes- 
sor of  Latin. 

In  1841,  it  was  ordered  that  the  diploma  fees  be  used  for 
the  increase  of  the  library,  and  in  1843  the  librarian  was 
directed  to  make  an  annual  report  to  the  Board.  In  1844,  Dr. 
Moffat,  as  librarian,  reported  2057  volumes  in  the  library, 


5 


only  61  volumes  more  than  had  been  reported  eleven  years 
before.  He  also  reported  244  volumes  as  missing. 

In  1848,  the  librarian  was  obliged  to  report  that  his 
orders  for  books  exceeded  his  appropriation,  and  the  Board 
appropriated  $100  to  pay  this  balance,  and  also  added  $95  to 
the  annual  appropriation  for  the  coming  year.  And  in  1851, 
it  was  ordered  that  the  appropriation  “for  the  increase  of 
the  library  be  henceforth  limited  to  $100  per  annum,  in  ad- 
dition to  diploma  fees.”  The  appropriation  went  on  in  this 
small  way  until  the  University  was  closed  in  1873.  In  1865, 
a library  fee  of  50  cents  per  term  was  charged  against  every 
student,  and  in  1867  the  appropriation  was  limited  to  the 
library  fees. 

In  1853,  the  library  room  was  enlarged  as  has  been  al- 
ready told  and  the  two  literary  societies  gave  up  their  sepa- 
rate library  rooms  and  placed  their  books  in  the  University 
library  and  under  the  care  of  the  librarian.  This  added 
about  3000  volumes.  But  the  arrangement  was  not  satisfac- 
tory, and  in  1855  the  Miami  Union  Society  asked  and  secured 
the  return  of  their  books.  In  1856  the  Erodelphian  Society 
presented  a memorial  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  setting  forth 
that  they  had  placed  in  the  library  of  the  University  1551 
volumes  by  actual  count,  and  in  three  years  264  volumes 
were  lost  or  stolen.  This  memorial  was  written  by  White- 
law  Reid  and  is  one  of  his  earliest  “State  Papers.”  He  was 
then  in  training  for  the  courts  of  Paris  and  London,  and  his 
’prentice  work  was  well  done.  The  next  year  the  Erodel- 
phians  removed  their  books  to  cases  provided  for  them  in 
their  own  hall. 

In  June,  1845,  the  Board’s  standing  committee  had  this 
to  say:  “The  Committee  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  Univer- 
sity library,  as  a whole,  has  too  large  a proportion  of  books 
upon  the  abstruse  sciences,  in  strange  tongues,  and  of  a 
technical  or  a professional  character,  when  compared  with 
its  selections  of  history,  poetry  and  general  literature,  and 
that  too  large  a proportion  of  the  purchases  made  in  the  last 
five  or  six  years  are  of  the  former  class.  Collectors  of  books 
should  more  consider  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  readers  of 
the  library,  than  their  own  more  cultivated  and  dainty  tastes 
for  rare  and  costly  books,  which  few  persons  can,  or  will 


6 


read.’1  Then  in  a kind  and  sympathetic  way  (there  were 
two  preachers  on  the  committee,)  they  admonish  dear  Dr. 
Elliott,  the  Librarian,  to  change  the  character  of  his  pur- 
chases. The  Board  adopted  this  report,  and  the  next  year 
Dr.  Elliott  was  commended  for  his  compliance  with  the 
Board’s  wishes. 

In  those  years  the  appropriations  were  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  librarian,  and  he  was  authorized  to  expend  the 
money  and  submit  his  vouchers  when  making  his  annual 
report. 

After  Dr.  Moffat’s  departure,  Dr.  Elliott,  the  Professor 
of  Greek,  was  appointed  librarian,  and  his  reports  are  very 
characteristic.  He  was  one  of  the  most  polite  and  innocent 
of  men,  without  taste  or  aptitude  for  the  business  manage- 
ment of  the  library.  He  begs  pardon  for  the  “informalities” 
in  his  report.  He  speaks  of  “neglecting  to  take  receipts,” 
and  at  one  time  he  speaks  of  an  expenditure  for  which  he 
has  no  vouchers  and  says  the  Board  “will  have  to  take  his 
word  for  it.”  The  dear  old  Professor;  may  God  forgive  us 
thoughtless  boys  for  ever  taking  advantage  of  his  guileless- 
ness. 

The  good  doctor  spent  one  year  across  the  sea,  and  dur- 
ing his  absence  Dr.  McFarland  acted  as  librarian.  His  re- 
port is  also  characteristic,  for  he  saw  some  things  that  ought 
to  be  mended.  He  counted  the  books.  He  found  about  5218 
volumes  and  that  there  were  419  volumes  missing.  He 
suggested  that  too  many  people  had  access  to  the  shelves. 
The  Board  directed  that  only  the  librarian  be  allowed  to 
handle  the  books,  and  so  the  vigilant  doctor,  with  a good 
measure  of  success,  enforced  this  order.  After  Dr.  Elliott’s 
resignation,  Professor  Swing  had  charge  of  the  library,  and 
he  was  somewhat  like  Dr.  Elliott,  without  taste  for  its  busi- 
ness detail.  The  following  is  taken  from  his  report  for  the 
year  1865:  “That  the  Board  may  be  informed  as  to  the  de- 
tails of  expenditure,  I submit  the  librarian’s  book,  and 
should  it  be  desirable,  in  the  judgment  of  your  body,  that  the 
truthfulness  of  this  record  be  determined,  the  result  can  be 
reached  by  comparing  the  accounts  of  the  librarian’s  book 
with  the  books  of  the  Robert  Clarke  Co.,  Cincinnati.  As  the 
purchases  of  books  are  all  made,  with  rare  exceptions,  at  that 


7 


house,  it  seems  unnecessary  for  me  to  place  book  bills  before 
you.”  Now,  this  would  have  seemed  curt  or  pert  in  most 
men,  but  no  one  who  knew  Professor  Swing  would  think  this 
of  him.  Modest  and  retiring  and  delightful  as  he  was,  his 
frank  report  was  just  a part  of  himself. 

After  the  departure  of  Professor  Irving,  Professor  Mc- 
Farland was  appointed  librarian.  This  was  in  1866,  and  he 
had  charge  of  the  library  until  the  University  closed  in  1873. 
Again  the  Professor  counted  the  books  and  found  262  more 
volumes  missing,  and  again  the  Board  ordered  that  the 
Librarian  have  sole  charge  of  the  books,  and  also  the  key  of 
the  room.  The  venerable  Dr.  McFarland  is  still  an  honored 
resident  of  Oxford  and  occasionally  visits  the  library  to 
handle  some  books  that  are  to  him  as  old  friends.  Some  of 
us  will  never  forget  how  earnestly  and  unselfishly  during 
the  Civil  War  he  shared  the  trials  and  dangers  of  camp  life 
and  military  service  with  the  boys  under  his  care.  May  God 
bless  him  and  lead  him  gently  down  to  the  setting  of  his  sun 
and  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  forevermore. 

At  the  re-opening  of  the  University  in  1885  an  appro- 
priation of  $500  was  granted  to  the  library  to  be  expended 
under  the  direction  of  the  President,  Dr.  McFarland.  A 
reading  room  was  arranged  for  and  a few  periodicals  order- 
ed. For  three  years  Dr.  McFarland  had  charge  of  the 
library.  He  reported  7230  volumes. 

In  1886  the  state  appropriation  for  the  library  was  $1000, 
and  in  '87,  ’88  and  ’89,  $300  per  annum.  In  1888  the  Board 
added  $350  to  the  state  appropriation.  In  1890  the  state  gave 
$800  and  the  Board  $200,  the  one-half  to  be  divided  among 
the  ten  departments,  being  $50  to  each  Professor.  This  ap- 
propiation  of  $1000  per  annum  has  been  continued  until  now. 
In  1902,  when  the  Normal  College  was  opened,  the  state  ap- 
propriated $500  per  annum  to  be  used  by  the  Normal  College, 
so  that  our  library  fund  for  the  last  five  years  has  stood  at 
$1500  per  year. 

In  1888,  Prof.  William  A.  Merrill  was  appointed  libra- 
rian. At  Amherst  College  he  had  been  conversant  with  the 
Dewey  system  of  classification,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
some  of  the  professors,  he  classified  all  the  books  in  the  main 
library,  according  to  this  system.  He  reported  9266  volumes. 


8 


In  his  reports  he  complained  of  the  congested  condition  of 
the  library  room  and  also  of  disorder  and  abuse  of  the  room 
and  of  the  books  by  some  of  the  students.  The  congestion 
was  relieved  by  the  removal  of  the  government  publications 
to  another  room,  and  the  experiment  of  student  help  was 
tried.  In  1891  this  was  reported  to  be  unsatisfactory.  As  the 
number  of  students  increased  the  necessity  for  a librarian 
was  reported  as  very  pressing.  In  1892  the  Board  gave 
authority  to  impose  fines  upon  any  who  failed  to  return  their 
books.  In  1893  Professor  0.  B.  Finch  was  appointed  librar- 
ian in  connection  with  his  class  room  work.  The  library 
was  opened  two  hours  per  day,  for  each  week  day.  Later  it 
was  kept  open  four  hours  per  day. 

We  are  under  great  obligation  to  Professor  Merrill  for 
his  service,  gratuitously  rendered,  in  classifying  and  cata- 
loguing the  library.  It  was  a great  work,  intelligently  and 
completely  done.  Our  catalogue  card  case  is  a great  conven- 
ience, and  to  one  who  understands  its  story  it  readily  guides 
the  seeker  to  where  any  particular  book  may  be  found. 

In  January,  1900,  the  present  librarian  took  charge  of 
the  library.  But  it  was  soon  apparent  that  v/ith  the  in- 
creased use  now  made  of  the  library  in  college  work,  more 
help  was  necessary,  and  in  1903  Miss  Ella  G.  McSurely,  who 
had  taken  the  library  course  at  Pratt  Institute,  was  made 
Assistant  Librarian. 

The  library  is  now  open  both  forenoons  and  afternoons, 
and  on  four  evenings  of  each  week.  The  library  room  is  a 
very  busy  place  where  you  may  find  students  and  teachers 
diligently  employed.  Today  shows  a great  change  from  the 
time  when  the  library  was  open  only  for  an  hour  or  two  on 
Saturdays.  The  library  is  now  an  intelligence  department  in 
college  work,  a place  where  the  student  finds  many  things  he 
needs  to  know,  and  also  learns  how  to  find  them. 

Our  accession  catalogue  now  calls  for  about  24,500 
volumes.  When  we  enter  our  new  building  we  should  take 
account  of  stock  and  we  probably  will  do  so.  We  lose  a few 
books  by  deliberate  theft,  we  lose  more  through  thoughtless- 
ness. 


9 


RARE  BOOKS  IN  THE  LIBRARY. 


Most  of  the  arts  and  sciences  look  back  with  mirth, 
reverent  though  it  may  be,  yet  with  real  mirth  at  the 
early  efforts  along  their  various  lines.  Indeed  chemistry  is 
avowedly  ashamed  of  her  direct  descent  from  medieval 
alchemy;  while  physicians  would  gladly  silence  the  ubiqui- 
tous whispers  regarding  the  shady  origin  of  their  profes- 
sion. Alone  among  this  assembly  may  modern  typography 
look  back  to  forbears  worthy  not  only  of  respect,  but  of  pos- 
itive admiration;  early  printing,  of  as  early  a period  as  has 
left  a specimen  extant,  produced  work  worthy  of  the  best 
modern  presses.  Among  the  most  beautiful  of  printed  pages, 
perhaps,  are  those  which  appeared  within  a hundred  years 
after  the  invention  of  printing. 

The  Miami  University  Library  is  so  fortunate  as  to  pos- 
sess an  old  volume  from  this  early  period,  printed  in  Stras- 
burg  by  Martin  Flach,  in  1491.  This  was  only  forty  years 
after  printing  from  movable  types  had  been  invented  by 
Gutenberg  in  Mainz,  before  which  time  all  books  had  been 
laboriously  written  by  hand  in  monasteries  or  by  professional 
scribes.  To  the  people  a book  had  always  meant  a written 
document;  so  that  these  early  printers  in  order  to  sell  their 
products,  made  them  as  much  like  manuscripts  as  possible, 
even  referring  to  their  new  work  as  4 "artificial  writing." 
Some  said  it  was  a profanation;  the  scribes  scoffed  at  the 
art  and  sought  to  have  the  “humbug"  repressed  by  the 
state. 

The  book  we  have  is  called  Aurelii  Agustini  opuscula 
plurima , Aurelius  Augustinus  being  the  Latin  name  for 
Saint  Augustine.  There  is  no  title  page  proper;  the  title  is 
simply  printed  in  ordinary  type  on  the  first  page.  The  in- 
formation usually^given  here,  however,  is  found  in  a colo- 


IO 


phon  or  inscription  at  the  end  of  the  book,  and  gives  the 
place  of  impression  as  Argentina,  Latin  for  Strasburg. 
Every  initial  letter  in  the  book  is  dashed  with  red,  while  all 
the  larger  initials  were  done  in  by  hand  in  red  pigment,  that 
the  volume  might  as  closely  approximate  a manuscrript  as 
was  possible.  Included  in  the  same  covers  is  a lesser  book 
purporting  to  be  a history  of  the  world.  It  is  called  Fasci- 
culus Temporum  and  contains  many  early  and  very  crude 
wood  cuts.  The  volume  is  bound  in  boards,  real  wooden 
boards  covered  with  pig  skin,  and  perforated  with  worm 
holes,  the  ravages  of  the  numerous  book  worms  that  have 
made  holes  in  the  paper  in  the  book.  The  tracks  of  the 
human  book-worm  are  evident  too,  in  numberless  references 
and  annotations  on  the  page  margins. 

The  old  Latin  volume  of  Calvin's  writings  which  Dr. 
McSurely  mentions  in  his  article  is  indeed  most  interesting. 
It  was  printed  by  Johann  Crispin  at  Geneva,  in  1559,  and  in 
as  much  as  Calvin  was  living  there  at  that  time,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  himself  oversaw  the  production  of  this 
work.  The  “Epistola,”  or  preface,  is  printed  in  an  exquisite 
font  of  italic  type,  which  was  used  only  for  such  prefaces 
and  notes.  An  interesting  circumstance  of  the  origin  of  this 
type  is  that  the  first  font  of  it  was  cut  in  imitation  of  Pet- 
rarch, the  poet's  handwriting.  Today  the  Germans  call  it 
Cursiv,  while  our  own  name,  Italic , comes  from  its  having 
been  first  used  in  Venice. 

Another  very  interesting  Calvin  book  is  one  which  bears 
on  its  title  page  this  inscription:  Sermons  of  Maister  John 
Caluinf  upon  the  Books  of  IOB  Londini  Impensis  Georgij 
Bishop.  The  volume  is  noteworthy  as  exhibiting  the  inter- 
changing  of  u and  v,  and  for  its  being  the  oldest  book  we 
have  in  the  English  language;  it  was  printed  in  1584. 

Of  interest  second  only  to  that  of  the  Strasburg  volume 
is  our  copy  of  Plantin's  wonderful  Bible,  published  at  Ant- 
werp in  1571.  It  consists  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  versions 
with  interlinear  translation  into  Latin.  The  Greek  starts 
in  at  the  “ front"  cover,  the  Hebrew  at  the  other, both  work- 
ing towards  the  center  of  the  book,  where  they  meet. 

This  curious  arrangement  was  necessitated  by  the  nature 
of  Hebrew  printing  which  runs  from  right  to  left;  the  pag- 


ii 


ination  of  the  book  follows  the  same  scheme  as  the  two  ver- 
sions, beginning  at  each  cover  with  1.  The  book  is  of  great 
historical  interest  and  is  described  at  length  in  the  Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica  under  Plantin . 

Two  volumes  of  the  plays  of  Plantus,  one  of  Latin 
poetry,  and  an  old  Greek  Bible  in  richly  embossed  pigskin 
finish  the  catalogue  of  the  books  we  have  which  were  print- 
ed before  1600.  In  the  books  of  poetry,  italic  type  is  used 
for  the  text,  and  the  notes  are  done  in  Roman  type.  The 
Bible,  printed  in  1545,  is  not  divided  into  paragraphs  and 
verses  and  is  the  oldest  book  in  the  library  with  numbered 
pages. 

We  are  in  fortunate  possession  of  two  examples  of  the 
work  done  by  the  Elzevirs,  famous  seventeenth  century 
printers  in  Europe.  These  are  both  in  Latin,  one  being  none 
other  than  our  old  companion,  Caesar's  Commentaries.  The 
Biblia  Sacra  Polyglotta  of  which  Dr.  McSurely  has  spoken 
is  from  the  London  press  of  Thomas  Roycroft,  and  exhibits 
wonderful  early  fonts  of  foreign  types ; it  gives  the  versions 
of  the  Bible  in  seven  different  tongues. 

The  January  number  of  the  Miami  Student  contains  ex- 
cellent cuts  of  several  of  these  rare  and  beautiful  books. 

Murray  Sheehan,  '08. 


12 


